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“She celebrated as if she had won the Champions League,” noted England manager Sarina Wiegman with a smile.

To Lucia Kendall, the moment was just as monumental.

Wiegman was describing the moment the Aston Villa midfielder dashed into the corner after scoring her first Lionesses goal – six minutes into a triumph over Ghana at St Mary's Stadium.

“I think the pitch needs some attention after that!” she joked, poking fun at Kendall’s perfect knee slide.

As the 21-year-old rose, puffing out her cheeks and mobbed by her team-mates, a broad smile lit up her face.

A Scripted Moment at a Familiar Ground

Southampton was her home for a decade; she was a familiar face there after coming through the academy and making 103 appearances prior to her July move to Aston Villa.

Therefore, scoring at St Mary's upon her return and during just her third international match felt extraordinarily special.

“A really special moment for me to be able to do it here, where I grew up. This place forged the player I am,” Kendall remarked.

“It appeared as though it was fate. It was so special. I got consumed by emotion really.”

A Meteoric Ascent

It may have been Southampton who “shaped” Kendall, but a big decision aged 15 proved pivotal to her future.

The gifted youngster was also a keen cricketer – her dad Will played for Hampshire – but eventually had to pick one of the sports just as she was earning a place in Southampton's first-team squad. She opted for football.

“It presented a dilemma. Juggling both became impossible,” Kendall commented in a previous media conference.

“Growing up, I had a passion for cricket. The decision was genuinely tough. I went back and forth, but when the time came, I realised I enjoy football a bit more.”

Her idol growing up as a Chelsea fan was Frank Lampard – an England midfielder famed for his goalscoring prowess – and Kendall has begun her career in a comparable fashion.

Balancing her football at Southampton with university studies in psychology demonstrated the focus and ambition needed to excel.

The club fought to keep her, but with her deal up, Villa seized the opportunity to bring her to the top flight.

Her rapid progress has seen her become a WSL regular and an England international in a short space of time.

“Maintaining her level immediately in a new league and club is difficult, yet she has done so,” said Wiegman.

“The pace of her rise has been breathtaking, yet she maintains her performance standard, proving her quality impressively.”

Kendall certainly enjoyed herself at St Mary's, striking the crossbar later in the first half and almost teeing up Villa team-mate Missy Bo Kearns for a goal, before Alessia Russo added a second with an injury-time penalty.

She came off after an hour to a ovation from the home crowd and the enthusiastic voice of the stadium announcer boasting that she was “Southampton's very own”.

Kendall scored 29 goals for the club in more than a decade of service and added: “Being at Southampton for so long, I played regular senior football from the age of 16 and that gave me a great foundation.

“It was the consistent trust they showed in me as a player and the belief. I felt like I was ready for [the next step].

“I understood the need to justify my selection at international level, where the tempo is higher, akin to moving up a league.”

Acknowledgment of Her Football Intelligence

Kendall has made an immediate impression at international level, with pundits stating she has just “got it” as a midfielder and looks like a “born talent”.

The England manager wants to safeguard her exposure, citing the roles of both media and club, but is reassured by the player’s modest nature.

In her early interactions with the press, she stressed her willingness to play her part for the benefit of the team.

Arsenal striker Alessia Russo said it felt like Kendall had “been here for years” as she integrated seamlessly into the squad.

“{This team's just gone on to win back-to